Parents at a primary school in Dunblane have launched a fundraiser as part of efforts to revamp a play park in the town.
St Mary’s Primary and Nursery are hoping to raise thousands of pounds to install safe and accessible equipment for the Millrow Play Park - better known locally as the Train Park due to the wooden centrepiece located within it.
The campaign has already been boosted by a commitment by Stirling Council to replace the train with a similar piece of equipment of a similar size.
On top of that, those involved with the fundraiser are hoping to secure support for finding between two to four new pieces of equipment and have set a target of £15,000 to hit their goal.
The funds would be dedicated to improve the park’s functionality, particularly for children with additional support needs, as well as rebuilding a safe and happy place for youngsters and their carers to go when out and about in Dunblane.
The park, which is mainly used by younger primary school children and toddlers, has become run down in recent years - with play equipment being vandalised and damaged as part of that decline.
The St Mary’s parent council are also hoping to secure grant funding alongside the online page to help with their aim, from which they have cited a number of other benefits, including improving footfall in the town and teaching the pupils about the role of community engagement.
Rachel Nelson, co-chair of St Mary’s parent council, said: “The Millrow park is perfectly positioned in the centre of Dunblane to provide fun and exercise for our little ones.
“Unfortunately, it has become tired over the years and recent vandalism has left few pieces of equipment that are safe to use.
“We are determined to raise the money needed to restore the play park for young families to enjoy and feel proud of.”
The fundraising efforts in the town began in earnest with pupils from the school raising £100 at the Dunblane Fling and they will be contacting local businesses in the coming weeks to encourage them to get involved.
They will also be out and about bag packing at Tesco Dunblane from 12pm-4pm on Saturday (June 10) to spread the message even further.
Mrs Nelson added: “The great community spirit in Dunblane was in full swing at the Dunblane Fling and we were delighted with the very positive response to the campaign. We hope the wider Dunblane community will see the value in this project and support us to reach our target.”
The crowdfunding page is available at stmarysepsdunblane.org.uk/community/millrowfundraiser/.
